SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

Anyone remember the "ups and downs", sometimes referred to as the "Beeston Bumps"?Situated in the vee between the Ring Road and Elland Road, they were an area of low grey shale waste mounds, which generations of lads and lasses on push bikes turned into a maze of exciting cycle tracks which must have been a predecessor of todays' skateboard and mountain bike parks.Most of the hollows between the mounds filled with rainwater, and many an over-enthusiastic rider went home with wet feet ( or more ) from trying too hard!

South Leeds wasn't my boyhood stomping ground. But i do remember the Beechwoods at Seacroft. Such hair raising rides as the Big Dipper, Hot Cross bun, and Devils Elbow. There were some perfect hollows i can only presume were bell pits at one time.    

There is an area in the wood on the left of Stairfoot Lane (coming from Adel) that has many bumps etc that looks like it used for rough riding, though I've never actually seen anyone using it!

Covered a bit beforehttp://www.secretleeds.co.uk/forum/Messages.as ... Light=1and from page 3 of the Lemi threadhttp://www.secretleeds.co.uk/forum/Messages.as ... ighLight=1

Whilst looking for info for the Fullerton Park speedway thread I came across a Leodis picture entitled "Aerial view Eland Road with football and greyhound stadiums" with enough memories on this thread topic in the comments ( of which there are a large number ) to keep me happy!

jim wrote: Anyone remember the "ups and downs", sometimes referred to as the "Beeston Bumps"?Situated in the vee between the Ring Road and Elland Road, they were an area of low grey shale waste mounds, which generations of lads and lasses on push bikes turned into a maze of exciting cycle tracks which must have been a predecessor of todays' skateboard and mountain bike parks.Most of the hollows between the mounds filled with rainwater, and many an over-enthusiastic rider went home with wet feet ( or more ) from trying too hard! Beeston Bumps was a popular weekend bike venue for contemporaries of mine at Pudsey Grammar School in the 50s. I lived in Calverley, so too far for me, but Pudsey kids could get there easily.Fast-forward to the 60s, and ISTR the bumps had gone to be replaced by an unsurfaced area used as a car park for LUFC supporters, but largely unused midweek. I had a temporary job driving HGVs. One day I was allocated an artic, on which I had no previous experience. I had to go past Beeston on the way to the delivery destination, and took the opportunity to use the "Bumps" as an area on which to practise reversing before having to do it for real. So much for staff training in those days! No formal HGV licence - anyone over 21 yrs could drive a maximum weight artic on an ordinary car licence.

jim wrote: Anyone remember the "ups and downs", sometimes referred to as the "Beeston Bumps"?Situated in the vee between the Ring Road and Elland Road, they were an area of low grey shale waste mounds, Heavy mining area that Jim, New Pit being the mine that probably provided the shale waste.

Uno Hoo wrote: No formal HGV licence - anyone over 21 yrs could drive a maximum weight artic on an ordinary car licence. And continue to do so after the HGV licence came in under "grandfather rights" My dad used to drive for Newboulds and they ran Thames 4D Diesel trucks all of which were just under 3 tons, but they had one that was 5 cwt over 3 tons which was mainly used as a back-up to cover breakdowns. One particular day a lad under twenty one took this vehicle on the road, and the police did him.

Phill_dvsn wrote: South Leeds wasn't my boyhood stomping ground. But i do remember the Beechwoods at Seacroft. Such hair raising rides as the Big Dipper, Hot Cross bun, and Devils Elbow. There were some perfect hollows i can only presume were bell pits at one time.     Yes mate indeed. I spent many a happy hour at the 'ups'n'downs or as it was called in later years 'The Tracking Woods'.Do you remember the devils drop? It was that lethal one that you had to ride over the top of the drop through the branches of the tree's so you couldn't see where you were going lol BRILLIANT! would i do it now??Definitely..............................not.    

I wonder if anyone out there can remember "the bumps" off West Park Drive near the Roundhay Ring Road. I used to go there in the mid 50s with my gran who used to collect pussy willow! Then they became a kind of bmx riding place. Still there, but not much left these days.